There is little evidence of a turnaround in support for Mr Jean-Marie Le Pen, with six days to go before French voters choose their next president. Rather is he gaining support from those who believe his programme of xenophobic nationalism addresses their concerns with crime, security and immigration.
France's political establishment is still shocked and in disarray, as yet incapable of responding effectively to this threat to its core values.
The series of demonstrations organised by students and trade unions have so far attracted less support than expected, although Wednesday's rallies in Paris may change that. Many of those demonstrating admit they did not vote in the first round of the election. That they did not is a warning not only to the French body politic but to other European ones as well, which have suffered from the effects of converging policies and a growing sense of powerlessness among significant sectors of the electorate.
The crude racist solutions offered by Mr Le Pen find parallels in Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland among far right parties. Immigration, crime and insecurity are common themes, to which established parties struggle to respond. It is a problem for centre right parties which see support drifting away to more extreme groups, just as for centre left parties whose record in office has been found wanting. They have failed to mobilise support for more open migration policies necessary for economic development, and are now dealing with the backlash.
France has particular problems with a constitutional structure which has outgrown its usefulness. Shared power between left and right through the different presidential and parliamentary majorities has narrowed political choices and taken much of the drama out of campaigns. So has European integration unaccompanied by proper political engagement. Mr Le Pen has turned this to advantage rhetorically by his populist attacks on the political elites; he has sought to do the same by scoffing at the counter-demonstrations as an attempt by them to turn the tables on his growing support.